More SINGLE Family Homes Proposed Downtown

[LandArchPoke]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=334&articleid=20120929_11_A15_CUTLIN529700


A developer is buying a Tulsa Development Authority property to build the $3.5 million downtown residential project "100 Boulder" between First and Second streets on the west side of Boulder Avenue.


Joe Westervelt of Mapleview Associates Inc. has a $100,000 contract with the Development Authority - the city's real estate arm - on the small parcel of land adjacent to the 100 West Parking Garage where he is planning an 18-flat development.

The one-bedroom, high-end units - nine on each of the two floors - will retail for just less than $200,000 each. Current mortgage rates indicate monthly rates between $1,300 and $1,400 per month.

First-floor units at 100 Boulder will measure 807 square feet, while those on the second floor will have an extra 50 square feet of space because of their individual, indoor staircases.

The outside of the building will have a sleek stainless steel and glass appearance, Westervelt said.

"I think it needs to look crisp and urban in that particular area," he said, adding that he wants to tap into the younger-than-35 market looking to live in the revitalized downtown.

The burgeoning Brady Arts District is just across the new Boulder Avenue bridge, and the BOK Center, One Place development and the Blue Dome District are short walks away.

Although the downtown housing market is strong, Westervelt said, "there certainly aren't very many options for buyers who are looking for new, open, contemporary spaces."

Westervelt has a year before the closing with the Tulsa Development Authority to get the project shovel ready, but he hopes to speed that along.

The plan calls for construction to begin in 2013.

The Development Authority's initial request for proposals for the property last year didn't have any respondents.

Even Westervelt, who has built many homes in Tulsa, including the Mapleview on Cherry Street enclave, said he didn't know at first what he'd do with the narrow piece of land.

But the more he thought about it, Westervelt said, he thought he'd be missing out on an opportunity if he didn't make an offer.

"It is both dimensionally and topographically challenged," he said. "It looks like a little leftover area."

Westervelt said it has taken him nearly a year to figure out what could be done with the property that makes economic sense and how to do it.

The site plan for 100 Boulder is 58 feet wide by 230 feet long. Residents will enter their units from a gated path on the west side of the building between the parking garage, with their patios and balconies facing east toward Boulder Avenue.

"It's a really small footprint," Westervelt said. "What really makes this housing opportunity viable is the ability to work out a relationship with the parking garage."

Westervelt is in discussions with the Tulsa Parking Authority, which owns the garage, to have spaces in a restricted section available to the residents at an expected cost of $95 for one, with a second spot available for half price.

There also will be a homeowner's association fee, he said.

The architecture and design of the building's concept is by Brian Freese of Freese Architecture.

Each flat will have 10-foot-high ceilings and feature pony walls between areas to maintain a feeling of openness.

The units will be individually fire suppressed and have hardwood floors, modern kitchens, stacked washers and dryers, and Murphy beds to allow the bedroom areas to provide multiple functions.

There's enough flexibility in the plans for a buyer to choose two vertical flats to join together, Westervelt said.

As word is getting out about the 100 Boulder development, he said, he's already had inquiries about presales.

Anyone interested should call 918-583-8808 or email jwestervelt@mapleviewassociates.com.

"There seems to be a real appetite out there," he said.

[LandArchPoke]

Cherry Street is not a great urban example for what we should build downtown. It's a great neighborhood and I'm glad to see it become more dense with row house style development but it's not an urban center like Downtown should be. To think that we could be building single family homes in the heart of Downtown along a Streetcar route..

We really need to think about an ordinance that states with any new residential development inside the IDL, there has to be street level retail space.

You could easily take the piece of land, put retail on the first level and have residential areas above.. I've seen plenty of creative ideas generated by small pieces of land in urban centers.

[DTowner]

This is a tiny sliver of land between a parking garage and the street currently occupied by grass and a piece of "art."  Not sure how it could realistically be developed more dense than this project.  Retail along this stretch of Boulder would be tough without anyone living there.

[nathanm]

Were it not for our gaggle of pets, I'd be all over this.

[BKDotCom]

I recall this stretch being purposefully set aside with the hopes for retail?

[TheArtist]

I understand the frustration expressed, especially when this is on a future streetcar route and in a spot that I thought would have retail at ground level,,, but, it will be an improvement, and as it's a small development if downtown keeps growing can be redone in time.  Hopefully the development will be pedestrian friendly (thats a BIG concern if we want this route to be a connector from the core of downtown and the Brady Arts district), and hopefully we will see other, higher density developments along this route.

Couple second thoughts... why not add ground floor retail? You can make good rent off the spaces, and if I were wanting urban living in a downtown, I wouldn't really want to live on a ground floor space on a major street, but would want to live at least on a second floor in that environment.

[sgrizzle]

Keep in mind this is the same guy who spoke for almost half an hour, while shaking and flop-sweating, to stop the form-based codes in the pearl district.

[Teatownclown]

The developer indicated in earlier discussion the property was going to be retail/restaurant mixed use.

I was wondering how he got the land under contract without a sealed bid process. Only an insider would detect this as developable property.

Well, this should put the nail in the coffin of the old landscape ordinance. The city often fails to obey it's own regs.

[carltonplace]

Keep in mind this is the same guy who spoke for almost half an hour, while shaking and flop-sweating, to stop the form-based codes in the pearl district.

Funny, since form over function and shared parking will need to be considered when trying to build on this tiny parcel.

[sgrizzle]

Funny, since form over function and shared parking will need to be considered when trying to build on this tiny parcel.

*cough*

[JCnOwasso]

Horrid horrid horrid idea.  Why not utilize the massive surface lot accross the street and do something a little more feasible for residence and utilize this space for retail.  Are they 800sf ($250 per sf) or 1650sf ($121 per sf)?  I wouldn't want to drop 200K on on these either way, and I would literally have a 30 second walk across the street to go to work.  And an additional 95 for parking and a HOA?  You could easily top 1700 a month.

[DowntownDan]

Horrid horrid horrid idea.  Why not utilize the massive surface lot accross the street and do something a little more feasible for residence and utilize this space for retail.  Are they 800sf ($250 per sf) or 1650sf ($121 per sf)?  I wouldn't want to drop 200K on on these either way, and I would literally have a 30 second walk across the street to go to work.  And an additional 95 for parking and a HOA?  You could easily top 1700 a month.

Or better yet, why not leave it as a green space and develop the half block across the street, as you have proposed, and incorporate street level retail into that development.  I'm all for development, but I'm not sure what the benefit is of removing green space to insert a sliver of overpriced townhomes while leaving a large surface parking lot as is. 

[carltonplace]

I think the TDA pricing for this sliver is priced to sell. The giant surface lot across the street has a much higher price tag.

[Conan71]

Who wants to pay $250 a foot to live in a shoe box?

I think I'd wait until the bank repos the project and buy one for 1/2 price if I were interested in living in something that small.

Who really is the demographic for this?  It's out of the question for anyone with kids and I really don't see what the attraction would be for retirees to live in the middle of the CBD.  Hipsters can't afford this and I'd think anyone with $200K to spend is going to want more space.

[carltonplace]

Re the giant surface parking lot on the east side of Boulder: a new skyscraper would fit nicely in that block if anyone has one laying around.